Women’s slopestyle is finally coming to Crankworx

After a long, long wait, there will finally be a women’s slopestyle category alongside the men’s at Crankworx. Starting in 2024, all four Cranworx World Tour stops will include a women’s slopestyle competition. That includes Cranworx Whistler’s iconic Red Bull Joyride.

In true Crankworx style, the men’s and women’s events will award equal cash prizing. Women will also be eligible for the Triple Crown of Slopestyle. The series will be officially titled the Women’s Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC).

“It’s about time, I’m stoked to have women on the big stage next to the men,” said Kathi Kuypers on the addition of the SWC women’s category.

Six women’s spots open in 2024

The initial roster list will include six riders. The top six highest ranked riders on the FMB Woemn’s World Tour Ranking, with a minimum of 500 points, six weeks before an SWC eventwill get the call-up. At the first event, the male and female Red Bull Rookie of the Year award winners from the previous season will have a place held for them on the start list. That means Patricia Druwen and Jake Atkinson will have a spot at the 2024 Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza during Crankworx Rotorua.

“I’m super motivated. The jumps are so much bigger and then you have to learn to do your tricks on them at the same time as well,” Druwen said of her entry in Rotorua. “I’m so stoked about having a Women’s Slopestyle competition at Crankworx.”

In 2025, the women’s field wiill remain at six riders. But the top two female riders from 2024 will prequalify for ’25 SWC events. The next four riders will be selected based on FMB ranking as they were in 2024.

Like the men, the women’s winner of Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler is granted lifetime entry to Crankworx Slopestyle events.

Live broadcasts on Red Bull TV

Like other major events at Crankworx, the women’s slopestyle will be broadcast on-demand on Red Bull TV.

“The fact that we are on broadcast and everything at the same level as the guys is really insane and super motivating,” says Harriet Burbidge-Smith, one of the riders who joined the women’s Joyride progression session in 2023.

“Since 2015, Crankworx has set out to create gender equality through equal prize money, shared podiums, and equal opportunity for men and women, knowing that Slopestyle would be the most challenging to integrate,” said Darren Kinnaird, Crankworx Managing Director. “Through the development of women’s Speed and Style and, more recently, Women’s Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour Slopestyle events, the road has been paved for women to compete at the highest level of the sport. After witnessing the women compete at the Crankworx Summer Series in SilverStar this past summer, it became clear to us that they are ready.”

The 2024 SWC will once again feature on the four-stop Crankworx World Tour, visiting the following world-class mountain biking destinations:

Rotorua, New Zealand – March 16-24
Cairns, Australia – May 22-26
Innsbruck, Austria – June 12-23
Whistler, Canada – July 19 – 28